Last Updated on 4 years by Publishing Team
The Health Information, Research and Analysis Unit is responsible for the overall development and management of health information and promoting appropriate research for the National Health Service; monitoring and evaluation of the Ministry’s Corporate & Strategic Plans including Key Performance Indicators for SFCCO and management of ICT services for the Ministry. The Division assists the Corporate Services Division in management of Information Systems relating to Assets, Finance and Human Resource Management; the Public Health Division in disease surveillance and disaster management, Health System Standards and other operational divisions in maintaining standards, monitoring and evaluation of health services. The division plays a vital role in the compilation and analysis of health statistics and epidemiological data and management of the information system (software) and also purchase and maintenance of computer hardware.
The division also manages the entire computer network infrastructure of the Ministry together with all the servers and maintenance of the Ministry website.
The three functional Units of the Division that carry out all these responsibilities are as follows:
1. Health Information
2. Health Research
3. Information and Communication Technology
The role of the Director is to provide policy advice to the Permanent Secretary for Health on health policy matters conclusively derived from Health Information and Health Research. The incumbent plays a lead and vital role in initiating and coordinating the development of:
• National Health Information Policy and Planning;
• National Health Information and Epidemiological Surveillance and Analysis
• National Health Information Systems Management, Development and Strengthening
• National Health Research activities
• National Health ICT Developments and Initiatives
The incumbent monitors and evaluates the performance of the Ministry’s Corporate and Strategic Plans including Key Performance Indicators for SFCCO. The Director ensures that effective communication is maintained with Divisional and Sub-Divisional Heads and other stakeholders involved in the health information and services delivery. As head of a Division the incumbent is responsible for planning, leading, coordinating, directing, and motivating the team, coaching and developing staff in change management and effectively managing resources allocated to the Division.
Health Information and Epidemiology
The Health Information and epidemiology unit supports the MoH in its functions of planning, monitoring, evaluation and research to improve the quality, efficiency and effectiveness of health services delivery.
Collection of data from across the health system provides hospital medical records departments with policy guidance on medical records and information system management.
The Epidemiologist is responsible to the Director Health Information, Research and Analysis, for the provision of policy advice on public health issues through the analysis and interpretation of health information data. The incumbent is also responsible for the effective management of the Ministry’s Health information system and the provision of regular feedback to users. The incumbent plays a lead role in coordinating the development of Health information management strategies and plans, including monitoring and evaluation;
- Regular Health Status Reports;
- Health Information Committees at national and divisional levels
- Effective medical records management strategies and support capacity building in Medical Records staff
- Training plans for the existing application such as PATIS, PHIS, Cancer Register and other databases
- Research and information support for policy development and evidence-based decision making.
Statistician and the National Health Information Project Officer provides analysis of demographic and health related statistical data, and data provided from the Health Information System to the Epidemiologist, and as required for the policy work of the various Divisions in Headquarters, including but not confined to Health Information, Planning and Infrastructure; Hospital Services and Public Health Division. Formulates strategies and provides advice on improvements to data collection systems and information management policies and practices.
Information and Communication Technology
The Health Information and Technology Unit supports the MoH by providing a committed, efficient, qualified and responsive IT Team that implements and maintains a reliable and accessible eHealth system throughout Fiji
IT Manager provides daily management and implementation of ICT projects and activities that includes;
- Produce a Business Plan for the unit and administration and management of ICT resources (hardware, software, human and finance).
- Assist in the compilation and presentation of various reports to stakeholders. Evaluate, review and approve requests for information systems hardware, software or services.
- Scheduling work assignments, settings priorities, and directing the work of subordinates. Staff development and training needs of IT Staffs are reviewed and implemented. Develop cost estimates, work plans, time schedules, and make work assignments to meet objectives.
- Overall Management of all MoH Applications including PatisPlus, LIMS, HRIS, Epicor, Diabetes Surveillance System, Intranet, Internet, File Systems, Disaster Recovery and Backup, Networking, etc.
- Conduct RFQ and RFT as required for IT Purchase and Services.
- Conduct research and analysis of new technological products and tools to assist in the strengthening of health information systems.
Health Research’s major objective is to develop and encourage the application of appropriate and ethical health research methods that will promote and maintain the protection of human and animal research subjects and at the same time provide credible evidence based data that will strengthen and support evidence based planning, reporting and decision making that will improve health and health care in Fiji.
Research Officer coordinates all health related research activities for the Ministry of health [this includes providing the approved format to would be researchers, receiving research submissions, assigning a primary reviewer in consultation with the Chairperson of the National Health Research Committee (NHRC) and the Ethics Committee, and convening meetings of the NHRC and Ethics Committee. The RO also provides secretariat support for the NHRC and the Ethics Committee, monitors the progress of all research activities endorsed by the NHRC, communicates with stakeholders both nationally and internationally on research proposals and activities and conducts capacity building for Ministry of Health staff on research methodologies.
Activities include publishing of The Fiji Journal of Public Health (FJPH) and management of the newly developed online Health Research Portal known as the Fiji Health Research Portal (HRP). The portal can be accessed online and will replace the current manual health research proposal review and clearance process. This initiative was funded and technically assisted by WHO, through the WPRO office.